Donations will be received all next week (7-12 December) and then delivered to the family support charity, Home-Start Glenrothes.

“This has been a horrific year for many families. They cannot afford to eat, it’s a sin. I don’t think people realise how bad it has been, just awful…mental health has been a big issue,” said Home-Start’s Lindsey Brown.

The collection, organised by Maria Maguire QC, has been a great help in previous years, and is especially welcome in 2020.

“You can’t say to the children that Santa isn’t coming just because of COVID, and the mums and dads have been so worried, not knowing how they are going to get through Christmas,“ added Mrs Brown.

“We have been so lucky that Maria was able to forward us a cash donation and that has been amazing. We’ve managed to buy toys and books, and we want all the children to have a gift from Santa and a Christmas story – what a difference a beautifully illustrated book can make.

“The Faculty’s collection has always been so wonderful and we hope to have something for the mums and dads as well – they definitely need a bit of cheer.”

All types of donations are welcome – toys, books, games, clothes, perfumes or treats like selection boxes and tins of biscuits. Cash donations will buy vouchers for food, and provide an emergency fund throughout the year for items like beds, cookers, fridges and washing machines.

Presents can be handed in at Faculty Reception, Parliament House, Edinburgh, between Monday, 7 December, and noon on Saturday, 12 December. It may also be possible for items to be collected from people’s homes.

Full details here